THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW by I.S. Berry

Shane Collins drinks too much, smokes too much, and has affairs with married women.  He is an American spy in Bahrain during the Arab Spring of 2011.  His career is winding down, not just because of his bad habits, but also because he is in his fifties and is mediocre at his job.  He has recruited Rashid as an informant for the Opposition to the monarchy in power, but Collins is supposed to remain neutral and just report his findings.  However, as things start to heat up, Collins becomes increasingly inclined to take sides, as he is forced to choose whether to be loyal to Rashid or to his superiors.  To further complicate matters, he falls in love with a local artist who is half his age.  Collins is principled with regard to the safety of his informant but not so principled in his love life.  He may be a flawed protagonist, but somehow his flaws just make him that much more human.  Sometimes he is a despicable person, and sometimes he is compassionate.  Sometimes he makes big mistakes, and sometimes he is brilliant. The tension in this book is palpable, especially when Collins occasionally goes rogue and proves that he still has some tricks up his sleeve.  I loved everything about this book—the characters, the twisty plot, and the gritty setting.  On reflection, this novel is largely about manipulation, but the challenge is to figure out who is manipulating whom.  Collins is a manipulator but is also being manipulated.  I think that if you know you’re being manipulated, then it doesn’t count, but being caught unawares in a scheme where you misunderstood your role is a good indication that you are the puppet rather than the puppeteer.